Eden
by TeamElizabethMcCord
Summary: Alison starts college... and a new relationship.
1. In Which We Meet the Roommate (Sort of)

Alison finished unpacking her books. Today was her first day in her dorm at Rafferty College. She was really nervous, and a little scared, but she didn't want anyone to know that. Especially since her parents were hesitant enough about leaving her there. Alison felt like Stevie noticed her anxiety, though, but thankfully she kept the suspicions to herself.

Her mom and dad were actually very calm throughout the move. Alison assumed that they'd be flustered parents like in every dorm move-in story she'd heard at orientation. They were very cool and accepting of Ali's needs, and let her take the lead. That made her feel much better. Stevie and Jason were being huge helps, too. She didn't realize how much stuff she'd packed until they were unloading it all.

"Where do you want this lamp?" Elizabeth asked. "That one goes on the desk," Alison replied. "Thanks, mom."

Jason whined. "Can we go now? Please? I'm hungry and practically everything is unpacked anyways!"

"Jason, stop that right now! Alison's setting the pace here. When she says we're done here, then that's that." Henry asserted.

"It's okay, Jase. I promise that we'll be done soon!" Alison insisted. "Scout's Honor!"

" _Fine."_ Jason responded with a slight smile, refocusing on the box he was unpacking.

"Noodle, are you sure that you want to do this?" Henry started, jokingly. "There's always…"

"Dad, I swear if you finish that sentence, I'm going to throw this pillow at your face!" Alison sassed as she picked up her Hello Kitty accent pillow.

At this point, her roommate walked in carrying a large REI duffle bag.

"Nice Ghostbusters poster!" She grinned like an idiot. "I'm Jessie! You must be Alison. I saw your name on the list outside… Nice to meet you!" They shook hands. "So who's your favorite?" she asked, glancing again at Ali's Ghostbusters poster.

Ali blushed. "Patty! Holtzman comes in at a close second, though. But Abby and Erin have qualities that I adore, too. They're all great in their own ways."

Jessie nodded and grinned, quickly scanning Ali's side of the room. "I like you. You're smart." She then tossed her duffle bag onto her bed and swaggered out of the room, all the while awkwardly staring at Alison and her family. Ali wasn't completely sure, but it looked like Jessie winked at her too.

Alison was stunned, and felt something that she didn't feel that often. She couldn't quite put her finger on it. Not at that moment, anyways.

"Ali, you're staring into space…" Elizabeth murmured.

"Earth to Ali!" Stevie joked.

"Alison, do you read me? This is your captain speaking!" Henry giggled.

Jason waved his hand in front of her face, tapped her forehead and quipped, "Hello! Hello in there! Is anyone home?"

Alison snapped out of her trance and swatted his hand away. She laughed along with the rest of her family, slightly embarrassed at her reaction to her roommate.

After they all stopped laughing they went on unpacking, each quietly singing along to the music they had playing in the background.

A few minutes later, Stevie blurted out "Hey Ali, can I talk to you for a sec?"

"Sure!" Alison smiled.

They walked out of her room and down the hall far enough to be out of earshot.

Alison could barely get a "What's up?" out before Stevie gave her a huge hug and told her "I'm really going to miss having you around, ya'know. I know we don't have the best relationship in the world, but you're my sister and I love you. I value you."

They both started tearing up. "I'm going to miss you too." Alison told her sister, and her hug got a little tighter.

When they finally let go, Stevie quietly said "If you need anything, anything at all, I'm only a phone call away, okay?"

"Okay." Alison sniffled.

Jessie then walked by, carrying several small boxes, humming a song they didn't immediately recognize. She nodded at Ali and raised her eyebrows in a mildly flirtatious way.

Alison blushed. Big time.

"Do you have something to tell me?" Stevie coaxed.

"Um…" Ali started.

Elizabeth popped her head into the hallway and shouted, "Hey! This unpacking isn't going to do itself!"

Stevie and Alison both mindlessly yelled back "Coming!"

"To be continued!" Alison sputtered quickly as she started to walk back to her room.

Stevie grinned and shrugged.


	2. In Which Alison Has Something to Say

**A/N:** Thanks for the reviews so far, guys! I really appreciate your feedback!

* * *

"How long did it take for mom to start crying after you guys left?" Alison asked, a soft smile starting in the corner of her mouth.

"About 30 seconds." Stevie replied. "I timed it!"

Alison couldn't help laughing. "How is everyone holding up?"

"Well, Jason is sulking, as usual. Mom has been masking her feelings by stress eating. Baked goods mostly, thanks to Blake's excessive need to please. And dad's working too hard." Stevie confessed.

"So things are pretty much back to normal, then." Alison joked.

"Is that Alison on Skype?" Ali heard her mom yell from the kitchen.

"Yes, mom." Stevie yelled back. Elizabeth then yelled for Henry and Jason to go to the office.

Alison blushed at the attention.

"So much for a private conversation." Stevie laughed. "It's okay, we can talk alone later. It can wait." Alison muttered, grinning.

"Hey Noodle!" Henry said joyfully. "How's the new school treating you? Settling in alright?"

"I'm doing good! My classes have been great so far, and I've met some great people."

"Which classes did you get into, again?" Elizabeth asked sheepishly. "I'm sorry Noodle, I can't remember. Blake told me, but so much has been going on at work…"

"It's okay! I'm taking U.S. History to 1877, Beginning Art for Fashion Majors, Trigonometry, and American Literature." Alison replied. "So far they've been very enjoyable, but it's early, so we'll see!"

"That's great, Noodle!" Elizabeth said. "I'm glad."

"How's that weird roommate of yours?" Jason teased.

"Her name's Jessie, and she's not weird!" Alison scolded. "She's just a little quirky is all. I really like her! She's cool!"

Everyone grinned and laughed.

"Hey Ali, are we still on for tonight?" they heard a voice say from the doorway. "Ooo is that your family? Hello!" Henry, Elizabeth, Jason and Stevie then saw that it was Jessie. They returned the greeting.

"Yes, and yes." Ali replied with a slightly embarrassed grin. "How was your econ class?"

"Not bad. The professor's kind of a douche, but oh well. At least he's a decent teacher. Shouldn't be too hard." Jessie replied as she gathered some supplies for her next class. "I'm running late for my physics lecture. See ya later!" She rushed out of the room.

"Anyways…" Alison laughed. "What are you guys up to tonight?"

"Nice trying to deflect!" Jason quipped.

"What? Me? Deflect?" Alison shot back sarcastically.

Henry gave him a light smack upside the head. "Cut it out Jase. Leave her alone!"

"But dad, it sounds like-" Jason started.

"We're just getting dinner!" Alison protested, throwing up her hands. "So what?!"

"Jason, just drop it! Quit bugging her." Elizabeth insisted.

"Fine! Sorry, Ali." Jason apologized.

Alison smiled. "It's okay, Jase. It _is_ only dinner, just to be clear. Nothing more, nothing less."

They wrapped up their conversation, and went back to what they were doing.

But before Stevie and Ali hung up, they agreed to talk later.

"Enjoy your dinner, or whatever you want to call it!" Stevie joked.

"Thanks, I will." Alison replied.

* * *

"How does pizza sound?" Jessie asked as she dropped her bag onto her desk.

Alison looked up from her history textbook. "Sounds great!" she replied.

"Alright. Back in a sec!" Jessie said, on her way out the door.

"Yo, Jackson! Where can I get a good pizza around here?" She yelled as she was walking towards his room, only a few doors down.

"Go to Jupiter! It's two blocks south of here, on Telegraph. Next to the Ben & Jerry's shop." He shouted back.

As she replied her thanks and started to go back to her room, she heard a chorus of "What about Jupiter"s coming from up the hallway, where the upperclassman rooms were.

"If you want some, go get some yourself!" Jackson barked. "I'm your RA, not your mother!"

Once Jessie got back to the room, Alison was ready to go.

* * *

"Do you want to sit by the window or the fireplace?" Alison asked when they got inside and took a look around.

"How about by the window? Better light, better view.'' Jessie replied.

It turned out that the view outside didn't really matter. They hit it off so well that when they weren't eating the best pizza they'd had in a long time, they talking. They were glued to each other. It was the start of something new and interesting for the both of them.

When they got back to their dorm, Alison went to the common room to give her mom a call.

"Hey mom, I hope it isn't too late to call." Allison murmured.

"No, Noodle, it's never too late. What's up? Is something wrong?" Elizabeth asked.

"Nothing's wrong, mom. There's just something I wanted to talk to you about, really quick. Are you sure it's not too late? You sound tired..." Alison replied.

"Ali, I promise it's alright. I always want to talk to you. Shoot!" Elizabeth insisted.

There was a pause.

"Mom… I'm bi!" Alison blurted out.


	3. In Which Alison Plunges Into the Unknown

Silence enveloped the room.

"Mom? Please say something," Ali whispered, on the verge of tears.

"I had sex with your dad," Elizabeth replied, trying her best not to laugh.

Alison was a little taken aback. "What?" she responded.

"I thought we were stating the obvious. I've had a feeling that you liked girls since you were 7 years old," Elizabeth confessed.

"Really? How?" Alison murmured.

"Call it mother's intuition. I noticed that you were just as crazy about girls as you were about boys... and then the way you reacted to Jessie, that confirmed it for me. Same for your dad." Elizabeth paused. "It took a lot of guts to come out to me, Noodle. Thank you for confiding in me, I'm really proud of you."

"I love you to the moon and back," she added.

Alison was so relieved that she started crying. "Thank you so much, mom, you have no idea how much of a relief it is to hear that from you. I love you, too. Always."

Elizabeth sniffled, trying to hold back the urge to drive to Rafferty right then so she could comfort her daughter in person. "I was going to surprise you tomorrow, but now is as good a time as any to tell you. Uncle Will is visiting us for the weekend. How would you like a weekend at the farm? It's been so long since we've gone as a family, and Uncle Will's dying to see you. You can bring Jessie if you want!"

"I'd love that! I'm ready for a weekend away. I'll ask Jessie in the morning," Ali decided. She was starting to get a little homesick, so the weekend away with her family would make her feel a lot better.

They talked for a little while longer, and then realized how late it had gotten.

"Before we hang up, what do you want me to call Jessie? Girlfriend? Partner?" Elizabeth asked.

"Girlfriend is okay… Thanks for the talk, mom. I really appreciate it," Alison murmured, wiping the tears off her face with her sleeve.

Elizabeth wished she could hug her daughter right then. She knew how huge it was for Alison to open up to her like that.

"I love you so much, Noodle. I'll always be here for you. No matter what. Goodnight." Elizabeth yawned.

"Goodnight. I love you, too." Alison replied.

After she hung up, she went to the bathroom and washed her face. She was exhausted, but content with the phone call with her mom. It was like a weight was lifted. She fell asleep with a huge smile on her face.

* * *

Ali woke up to the smell of blueberry pancakes, bacon, and coffee.

"What's the occasion?" she asked when she walked into the kitchen and saw Jessie standing over the stove, cooking some eggs.

"Nothing in particular! I just wanted to make you breakfast, and everybody likes pancakes." Jessie replied. "How do you like your eggs?"

"Over-medium," Alison said. "Thanks."

"No problem! I love to cook." Jessie smiled.

There was a small comfortable silence between them while Jessie finished cooking. Alison enjoyed watching her. It was very entertaining. Jessie used a lot of sound effects and talked to the food as if it could hear her. And she danced and sang to the music she had playing. They even exchanged Spotify usernames so they could listen to each other's music.

When everything was done, Jessie served up the food and Alison poured the coffee.

After the first bite, Alison exclaimed, "Wow, Jessie, these are amazing! When did you learn to cook like this?"

Jessie laughed. "My parents are chefs, so I was kind of born into it."

Alison grinned. "That sounds really cool!"

"It certainly is. There was never a dull moment food-wise when I was growing up." Jessie laughed. "When I was in elementary school, they'd make most of my food animal-shaped! Much to the jealousy of my classmates..."

They continued chatting while they ate their food.

When they were finished eating, Alison said, "That was by-far the best breakfast I've had in a long time! Thank you!"

"You're very welcome! Thank you for the compliments." Jessie blushed. "Let's double-team the dishes so we have some time to relax before our classes start."

"Sounds good," Ali agreed.

They sang and danced, and got the dishes done with enough time to watch some TV. They both liked sci-fi, so they landed on a repeat of The X-Files.

On a commercial break, Jessie asked, "So who's your favorite agent? Scully, Mulder, Reyes, or Doggett?"

"That's a difficult decision, because I love qualities of each character, but…. I think Scully. She's cute, smart, funny… I identify with her the most."

Jessie nodded in agreement. "I identified a lot with Reyes when she came in. She's a lot like Mulder, with elements of Scully. I love her."

"So um… My family's going to our farm for the weekend because my Uncle is visiting from Syria. He's a doctor there. Um… Would you want to come with me?" Alison asked tentatively.

"Really? You'd want your family to meet me? Officially? Like…" Jessie stammered, a crooked smile growing on her face.

"Yes, if that's okay with you," Alison assured.

Jessie grinned. "I'd like that very much…. Plus I've never gone to a farm before."

"Trust me, it's probably not what you think." Alison laughed.

Jessie laughed with her. "That's okay! When are we leaving?"

"Tomorrow morning around 9:30." Alison replied.

"Alright, sounds great! Thanks for inviting me," Jessie said.

* * *

"She's only been there for a few weeks and she already has a date? Wow, I'm impressed! It took me 2 months, even with my world-famous charm!" Will laughed. "Tell me about her. Have you done a background check yet?"

"Everyone that's ever breathed within a 10-mile radius of that school got a background check the second she got accepted!" Elizabeth grinned. "Jessie's a nice kid. A bit eccentric, but in a good way. She's tall, lanky, and looks a bit like Adele. She has a sense of humor like dad's."

"Interesting. Well I look forward to meeting her. How much longer until we get to Rafferty?" Will asked.

"About 20 minutes." Elizabeth replied as her phone buzzed with an incoming text message. "Henry, Stevie, and Jason just got to the farm."

"They made great time," Will said. "How are you holding up, Lizzie? The State Department's been very busy lately."

"Oh, I'm okay. It's nothing I can't handle." Elizabeth sighed.

"Are you sure? You look terrible," Will replied with a smirk.

"You stop that right now, Will Adams!" Elizabeth quipped, giving him a slap on the shoulder.

Will threw up his hands and said "Alright, alright! Forget I said anything!"

Elizabeth looked down, smiling softly, and started tearing up. "I've missed you, Will," she murmured.

Will scooted over to the seat right next to his sister, and gave her a hug. "I missed you, too," he whispered.

For the rest of the car ride, they just sat there and listened to the radio, enjoying each other's company.

* * *

"Is is going to be cold enough for this?" Jessie asked, holding up a heavy wool sweater.

"Not quite cold enough for that," Alison laughed. "A flannel will be fine."

"Okay," Jessie replied, laughing with her. "Thanks for inviting me on your trip. I've been looking forward to it since you asked me. Nobody's ever done something so nice for me before."

Ali gave her a big hug. "You're very welcome."

They heard a commotion out on the hall.

"Well if you have a problem with the way she does her job, fill out a complaint form. Or better yet, put a bucket over your head and a marshmallow in each ear and stumble around until you're old enough to even think about holding a high public office!" they heard Will say heatedly.

They couldn't help laughing as they walked to the doorway, duffle bags in tow, and saw Elizabeth McCord and her brother down the hall, engaged with a student.

"Is he always like that?" Jessie asked. "I love him already!"

Alison laughed. "That's not even the half of it!"

"He's never going to stop if you don't disengage now," Alison shouted towards her mom and uncle.

They walked over, and Will said "Ali, have you gotten taller? Come here!" as he gave her a hug.

"So this must be Jessie!" Will shook her hand.

"Nice to meet you, Dr. Adams!" She replied. "Ali's told me a lot about you."

"All of it good, I hope!" Will laughed.

A member of Elizabeth's detail stepped beside her and said, "Ma'am, we should get going before the whole school finds out that you're here."

"Alright, Matt." Elizabeth replied. "Let's roll!"

Ali and her mom walked arm in arm while Will and Jessie followed, giving the mother/daughter duo some space.

* * *

When they got to the farm, Henry and Stevie were preparing lunch.

"Mmmm, what's that smell?" Elizabeth yelled as they walked through the doorway.

"Tomato soup to go with the cheese sandwiches we're assembling!" Henry hollered from the kitchen.

Henry, Stevie, and Jason greeted the travelers in the entryway, hugs and all.

"Lunch is almost ready, why don't you guys take your bags upstairs and then we can catch up?" Henry suggested.

The group agreed and proceeded up the stairs to their rooms.

Henry and Elizabeth wanted to make their guest comfortable, so they left it up to her and Ali to decide where she slept. There was plenty of space, after all.

When they got to the top of the stairs, Ali gave her the option of her room or the guest room across the hall. She decided on Ali's room.

"Wow! This is really cool!" Jessie exclaimed she entered the spacious, well-furnished room.

"Thanks!" Alison replied.

Before she could warn Jessie about the loose floorboard near the window, she had found it and tripped, landing with an elegant thud on the nearby pile of bean-bag chairs, sending them into hysterical laughter.

After they calmed down a bit, Jessie joked, "Help me up before these things swallow me!"

When Ali grabbed her arm to pull her up, Jessie yanked her down next to her.

After a moment, Jessie blurted out, "I love you."

Ali blushed. She wanted to say that to her, but had never felt like it was the right time. Until recently, that is.

"I love you, too, Jessie," Alison replied confidently. "Let's head downstairs. Lunch should be ready."

She hoisted herself up with the help of the windowsill and then helped Jessie up.

The space between them was becoming magnetized.

She felt her heart flutter as Jessie locked eyes with her. Ali hadn't noticed the little flecks of gold in her olive-green eyes before. She didn't know how she could miss that, they were so beautiful. Her breaths were getting shallow.

Jessie, butterflies raging in her stomach, looked down at Ali's soft rosy lips for a split second before gently grabbing her chin and leading their lips together. The warmth of her mouth and vanilla scent of her hair sent an electric jolt through her body.

It was the most passionate kiss they'd both ever felt. It was like time had stopped.

They heard a knock. When they looked over to the doorway, they saw Henry leaning on the jamb.

"Lunch is ready," Henry said, smiling softly.

"Thanks, Dr. McCord!" Jessie replied, rushing out of the room with an embarrassed look on her face.

"Sorry," Henry said to his daughter, "I didn't mean to sneak up on you guys like that."

Alison blushed. "It's alright, dad."

She started to walk away, but Henry gently grabbed her shoulder.

"I'm so, so proud of you, Noodle. Finding yourself and living those truths at the beginning of a new experience like college can be a really difficult transition. If you need to talk…" He started.

"Thanks, dad, I really appreciate it." Alison replied, letting her dad pull her into a hug.

"You remind me so much of your mom, Ali, it's so-" Henry stopped, tearing up.

Alison hugged him a little harder. "I know, dad... What did Thomas Aquinas say about illuminating is better than just shining?"

" 'Better to illuminate than merely to shine, to deliver to others contemplated truths than merely to contemplate.' " Henry replied, grinning. "Let's get downstairs before your mom sends up a search party."

* * *

 _You were always half crazy/ now look at your baby/you make as much sense as a nursery rhyme/love is a piano/dropped from a fourth story window/and you were in the wrong place/at the wrong time_

"Mmmm, keep her, Ali, she has the best taste in music!" Jason said, his mouth half full of cheese sandwhich.

Jessie laughed.

"Since when did you like Ani Difranco?!" Alison quipped.

He shrugged, laughing too. "Always have, I guess. I just never owned up to it!"

"I knew it!" Henry cheered.

" 'Don't even bother trying to say something clever, clever is as clever does, no matter what it says. I'm looking for a sign says you're for real this time, but I don't trust what's in your head' " Jason sang.

Everybody laughed. They kept talking and talking, for hours it seemed like.

They abandoned their dirty dishes and went on with the rest of their day, soaking in the comforts of their farm. They rode their horses, played board games, and got some take-out chinese food and watched a movie.

Jessie got along really well with the McCords, and they with her. They enjoyed each other's company. It seemed like she brought out the best in everyone.

It was around 10 o'clock when Elizabeth and Henry decided it was time to clean up the dishes that they'd left in the kitchen.

"Please, let me help with those!" Jessie insisted, not giving them much of a choice.

The didn't talk for a few minutes, letting the events of the day sink in.

"Thank you for being so welcoming to me," Jessie said. "I really like you and your family. You guys are so accepting, it's really nice."

"I'm glad, Jessie. We try our best. You have made such a difference in Alison… Your love is so beautiful. It reminds me of how I felt about Henry when I first met him." Elizabeth replied, resting her hand on her husband's for a moment.

"I agree," Henry added. "I'm glad that we've gotten to know each other better, Jessie."

"Thanks," Jessie murmured. "That means a lot."

"Why don't you head upstairs? We can finish drying these," Elizabeth offered.

She sat down her towel and nodded her thanks. Upon going upstairs and entering her room, she found Alison lying on the bed, crying softly.

Jessie crawled onto the bed next to her and held her hand. Ali snuggled up against her, prompting Jessie to hold her in her arms.

After a few minutes, Jessie gently asked, "Are you ready to tell me what's wrong?"

Alison sniffled. "Nothing's wrong. Not exactly. I'm just really overwhelmed by my family's unwavering acceptance... And I've never felt so much love for someone outside my family than I have for you. I'm just so happy. But I'm afraid that something bad is going to happen to ruin it."

"Oh man, I'm sorry. That's a really rough feeling to have. I promise that I'll do everything I can to stop anything bad from happening. To us, to you… I love you more than I can say," Jessie asserted.

Alison lifted her head off of Jessie's shoulder and kissed her deeply.

They held each other for a long time before finally crawling under the covers and going to sleep, content and reassured.


	4. In Which Alison Goes to a Party

**A/N:** Thanks for all of the reviews/comments that I've received thus far! Thank you for reading! I appreciate it! *Side note: I'm putting this fic on hold for the time being, as I'm working on a Christmas MSec fic that I want to start publishing soon! So stay tuned for that! Thanks again. :)

* * *

"9-1-1, what's your emergency?"

"My girlfriend won't wake up, she was fine when she went to bed, please help, I don't know what to do," Jessie said frantically.

"Is she breathing, ma'am?" the operator asked.

She checked. "Yes, she is. She's really hot, please help!"

"Okay. Don't worry, the paramedics are on their way. What's your name?" the operator replied.

"Jessie," she replied, on the verge of tears.

"Alright, Jessie, my name is Max. I need you to try to stay calm." they said. "Has she been sick lately?"

"Um, yeah. She's had the flu, but it seemed like she was getting better! Yesterday morning she said that the only thing really bothering her still was her stomach." Jessie told Max.

"Okay. The paramedics are almost there, so hang tight, okay? In the meantime, I need you to get a washcloth or small towel, and dampen it with cold water. Put it on her forehead," Max instructed.

"Ok…" Jessie replied, and did as they asked.

About three minutes later, the paramedics arrived.

"What's her name?" one of them asked.

"Alison," Jessie replied.

"Okay, and what's yours?" the medic asked.

"Jessie," she said.

"Alright, Jessie, we're going to everything we can to help Alison." the medic said. "My name's Brian, and that's Carol and Danny."

"Airway's clear," Carol said.

"Get her on oxygen and cold packs," Brian said.

"Roger that," Danny said, fishing the cold packs out of her bag.

"Put on some shoes and grab your things," Brian told Jessie.

She grabbed her stuff and pulled on her Converse, not bothering to fully tie the laces.

"Come on let's go," Carol said. "Her heartbeat's rising."

Jessie followed them as fast as she could, but found it hard to keep up.

She had never been in an ambulance before, and hoped that she never had to again. It was the worst experience of her life, and she couldn't even think about how bad Ali must have felt.

She regained consciousness for a few minutes after being put on I.V. fluids, and managed to tell the paramedics that the lower right side of her stomach hurt really bad. She threw up, mostly blood, and went unconscious again.

When they got to the hospital, the heart monitor started beeping rapidly, then flatlining.

"She's crashing!" a nurse exclaimed.

"Ali! ALI?!" Jessie screamed, tears streaming down her face as the doctors and nurses rushed Alison into a room, barring Jessie from entering.

* * *

Alison woke up with a jolt.

"Ali, are you okay? You were screaming," Jessie said with a worried look on her face.

She started crying. "I'm sorry, I had a really bad nightmare. I- I-" she started.

"It's okay, babe, come here," Jessie replied, raising her arms so she could hold her.

Alison accepted the comfort and buried her head into Jessie's shoulder.

"It was horrible," she said through her sobs. "I _died_ , Jessie, and- and- you were there- you saw-"

"Oh, Ali, I'm so sorry," Jessie whispered. She wiped the tears off of Ali's face with her sleeve. "I'm so, so, sorry."

She held on tight, soothing her until she fell asleep once again, her heart breaking.

When Alison woke up again, the sun was shining through the window. She got up and peered out of the window, noticing the pockets of students running to their classes.

"Here, drink this," Jessie said, handing her a cup of coffee.

She gladly accepted the cup. "What time is it?" she asked after taking a few sips.

"9:30," Jessie replied. "But don't worry about your math lecture. I already got Séamus to agree to make an extra set of notes for you. It's not the end of the world if you don't go to one lecture. Dr. Gilmore's cool, she'll understand. Especially since you're a model student."

She sighed, sat down and rubbed her eyes.

Jessie kneeled and said, "Ali, look at me. Are you alright?"

She smiled softly. "Yeah, I'll be fine. It was just a really bad nightmare… I'll shake it off. I promise."

Jessie took the mug out of her hand and hugged her.

When she let go, she asked "How about some breakfast? We can go to the Student Union Cafe."

"That sounds great!" she replied. They changed their clothes, and left for the Café, Ali grabbing her well worn Hamilton sweatshirt.

When they got there, the morning rush had slowed. They ordered their usuals, Alison a veggie omelette and toast, Jessie a multigrain bagel with a copious amount of strawberry cream cheese, and a large pot of coffee for them to share.

When they picked up their food, they sat down at their favorite spot.

"You look really tired. I hope I didn't keep you up that long. I'm sorry," Alison apologized.

"You've done nothing you need to apologize for." Jessie smiled. "Everyone has nightmares. Don't worry about it."

"Alright." She smiled back. "Now finish your bagel before the cream cheese melts!"

They had enjoyed the rest of their breakfast when Gillian, the T.A. from their history class and a newfound friend, pulled up a chair to their table and sat down.

"Damn, Alison, that CD you gave me? AMAZING! Thanks for letting me borrow it!" Gillian handed Ali her battered copy of _Our Time in Eden_ by 10,000 Maniacs. "Oh, and good morning!"

They all laughed and exchanged their greetings.

"I'm glad you liked it! It's my favorite album of theirs." Ali told her.

"The lyrics are fantastic! You can tell the Natalie Merchant had a heavy hand in writing them. It's almost as if it's her swansong. Not that anybody knew that she was going to leave the band later that year. I think that makes it better." Gillian grinned. "Eden is your favorite song, I mean besides These are Days, isn't it?"

"Wow, how'd you guess?" Alison replied.

"Well isn't it obvious?" Jessie chimed in. "I know I didn't know you before you started going here, but since we've met, you've become really confident in yourself, like you've become enlightened of your true being, in a way. Like you've woken up. You see the world in a different way... Lest we forget the last verse of the song: 'All in time/ but the clock is another demon that devours our time in Eden/ in our Paradise/ will our eyes see well beneath us/ flowers all divine/ is there still time/ if we wake to discover in life a precious love/ will that waking become more heavenly' That's what the whole song is about. Will we become aware in time to see the true beauty of the world and enjoy it all? Or will we continue to go with the flow and keep our heads down?"

Alison blushed.

"What she said," Gillian said. She grabbed an uneaten piece of toast off of Ali's plate and got up. "Hey, you two are going to the Halloween Ball, aren't you?"

"I don't know, we haven't really talked about it that much," Alison replied. "What do you think, Jessie?"

"Sounds like fun!" she replied. "I don't know who I'd dress up as, though."

"Maybe we can wrangle up enough people to do a team of Ghostbusters or Jedis or something like that!" Gillian suggested. "I've already recruited Seamus and Andy. Anyways, we have some time to figure it out. See ya in class!"

They said their goodbyes, and she walked off.

* * *

"Leia or Rey?" Jessie asked, holding up costumes.

"I'll take Rey!" Alison replied.

"Perfect, I've always wanted to be Leia. I've just never gotten around to it." Jessie laughed.

"I can't believe that I'm actually voluntarily going to a school dance!" Alison replied. "I've only ever gone because my friends were and I didn't want to be left out."

"Well I'm glad I get to be a part of it," Jessie said. "I'm really excited. I've never really gone to a school party before."

Gillian, Seamus, and Andy walked up to them with their costumes in hand.

"I decided on Padme Amidala!" Gillian could hardly contain her excitement.

"Han Solo!" Andy held up his costume bag.

"Luke Skywalker!" Seamus beamed.

Alison looked at her watch. "Why don't we go grab some dinner?"

"Sounds great! Let's go to Mikey's. It's costume night! We might actually win a prize or something, what with the money we all spent on our outfits and accessories," Andy suggested.

"You just want to go there because it's milkshake happy hour tonight!" Gillian quipped.

"Why not both?!" Andy shot back, hand over his heart, causing everyone to go into hysterical laughter.

"Okay," Gillian replied in a sing-song voice.

The group changed into their costumes and walked out of the Halloween store Cloud Nine.

* * *

When they arrived at the party that night, a lot of heads turned. They received a lot of compliments, and were even stopped by the photographer of the school newspaper. He told them that they'd probably make the front page of the next issue.

There was a really awesome energy in the room, and they soaked it up.

"Wow, this is some party, isn't it?" Jessie told Ali.

"Yes, it is." She replied. "The music's been great so far. And the decorations are really spectacular, too. The theater department really outdid themselves."

"Gillian, is that what I think it is in that flask?!" Seamus mock scolded.

"I confirm nothing nor deny nothing!" Gillian laughed. "Now shush, I'm trying to be stealth! This is officially a no-alcohol party, but what's a few drops in my punch matter?!"

"The least you can do is share!" Seamus quietly insisted, elbowing her.

"Fine!" She passed around the flask.

A few minutes later, "Come on Eileen", a favorite song of theirs, came on.

Gillian's eyes got wide in excitement. "Chug your drinks and let's dance!" she shouted. She took all of their drinks out of their hands once they downed them and then drug them to the dance floor.

"May I have this dance?" Jessie asked, holding out her hand.

"You may." Alison grinned.

For the next few hours, they danced non-stop. Even to the bad songs. They were all too buzzed to care, and so excited to be out having fun with a group of people that understood each other. Especially Alison. She was so happy that she found proper friends. People that didn't care that her mom was Secretary of State, that weren't bothered by her being bisexual and in a relationship with another girl. People that took her for her. She didn't have that in high school. Not at all.

When they were finally kicked out of the hall, they slowly walked back to their dorms, chatting the whole time. Alison and Jessie even held each other's hands.

"You two are really adorable, you know that, right?" Seamus said to the couple.

They both giggled. "We are, aren't we?" Alison replied.

"Whatever happened to that boy you were dating, Andy?" Jessie asked.

He snorted. "Dumped me for a basketball player! It doesn't matter, I would have dumped him eventually anyways. His ego was as big as the Titanic."

"Oh man, I'm sorry," Jessie murmured.

"No problem," Andy said. "I'm too tired to be dating right now anyways."

"I've dedicated my life to staying single...by choice," Gillian stated in her best Captain America voice. " 'Don't belong to not city, don't belong to no man.' "

They just about fell over laughing.

When they got to the grassy area in the middle of the dorm buildings, they laid down on their backs and looked up at the stars.

"Come on, Seamus, I know you know all the constellations. Tell us about them!" Andy insisted.

"Why not make it 'Are You Afraid of the Dark' style?" he suggested. "I'll give the backgrounds, and each of us make up the stories for them?"

"Alright," everyone chimed in.

"Okay, I'll start…" Seamus began. "Submitted for the approval of the Midnight Society…"

They laid out there until the early hours of the morning, laughing and shouting, having the best time in the world.


End file.
